HaAmakim Park is situated near kibbutz Sha`ar HaAmakim, and there are hiking and cycling trails along the Kishon River, picnic tables, and a Turkish bridge.
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Map
HaAmakim Park is situated near kibbutz Sha`ar HaAmakim, by the intersection of roads #6 and #75. And the easiest way to get there is by entering “HaAmakim Park” into Waze.
When we drove there, shortly after the intersection of roads #6 and #75 while driving on road #75 to the east, we turned to the left and continued using the dirt road under the bridge till we reached the parking lot.
Interactive map of the area:
And here is a map of HaAmakim Park:
Map of HaAmakim Park
Note: you can click on the map to enlarge it.
Entrance Fee
Free.
Opening Hours
Visiting is allowed only during the daytime.
The following sign states: “Staying in the forest after dark is prohibited unless the required safety measures are taken.”
Parking
Free parking is available on site, near the mentioned entrance.
Restrooms
None. Or at least, I did not see any during my latest visit (December 2021).
Picnic Tables and Barbeque
There are picnic tables, and you can make barbeques. Moreover, there is an accessible path and one accessible table.
But there are not many tables (I have seen in total about ten tables), and there are no facilities besides garbage bins (no restrooms and no water taps).
Entry into the water at HaAmakim Park is prohibited.
The Accessible Trail
There is a long cycling and hiking trail along the Kishon River. Moreover, at the parking marked on the map above, you can find an accessible path (see photo above pointing to an eight hundred meters trail).
Let’s hike along this trail.
The paved trail continues along the river to the north from the picnic area.
The paved path leads to the memorial of Yehuda Lipshitz, who was an engineer at Zevulun Regional Council.
Shortly after the memorial, the paved trail becomes a dirt road.
On the other side of the river, you can find a farm with horses. They offer horse rides, and some of them may use the trails in the park. Therefore if you are using the trails to walk with your dog, consider keeping it on a leash depending on the dog’s reaction when seeing horses.
The trail continued further northwest, but we decided to return to the picnic area and hiked in another direction.
Turkish Railway Bridge
If you hike to the south from the parking marked on the map above, then after several minutes, you will reach the Turkish Railway Bridge over the Kishon River.
Note: this part of the trail is not accessible.
The Turkish Railway Bridge is made of dressed stone and supported by six arches. It was designed by the German railway engineer Heinrich August Meissner. Inaugurated in 1903 by the Turks near Station 15, Jalami, it was crossed by the Valley Railway, an offshoot of the Hejaz Railway Project.
Source: Wikipedia
And after this bridge, you will see the modern bridges of road #75.
And then you will reach a grove planted by Trans-Israel workers in 2020.
Summary
HaAmakim Park could have been an excellent place for a picnic. But several things prevent me from recommending this place to everybody. First of all, the lack of facilities. Secondly, during our visit, the park was filthy. But it still can be a lovely place for a hike.
Have you ever visited HaAmakim Park? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
That’s all for today, and I’ll see you in future travels!
Stay Tuned!
Additional Resources
Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:- Israel Trip Planner is the page that will help you to create your perfect travel route.
- National Parks And Nature Reserves page lists and put all national parks on the map. There is also a top list, information about ticket types and campsites.
- If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, and Makhtesh Ramon.
- Wondering what events are there in Israel? Here is the Events And Festivals By Season guide.
